The mobile communication system of the world comprises a plurality of mobile communication networks owned by different operators. A communication device is registered as a subscriber of a home communication network but can today, when moving to another communication network that the device is not subscribing to, acquire connectivity in this communication network. There are today two different general procedures for a communication device to acquire connectivity to another communication network, hereinafter called a visiting communication network: Roaming, and changing to a subscriber identity module, SIM, card from the operator of the visiting communication network.
In the roaming procedure, a global enterprise owning a number of communication devices all over the world, for example a machine-to-machine service provider, M2M SP, has a single business relationship and billing interface towards the home network operator. When in a visiting communication network owned by a roaming partner, a communication device will be roaming to get access through the roaming partner's access network while remaining being a subscriber of the home communication network. With a roaming solution, an enterprise can maintain single business relationship and billing interface towards its home communication network operator with roaming devices all over the world. However, roaming agreement is needed between each visiting communication network and the home communication network. A communication device will not be able to connect to the visiting communication network if the visiting communication network operator does not have a roaming agreement with the home communication network operator, or if roaming is not allowed in the visiting communication network, (e.g. due to operator determined barring of roaming by its home network operator).
In the changing of SIM card procedure, subscription is switched to the local network operator for the visiting communication network, (e.g. by changing to the new local network operator's SIM card in the device), so that the communication device can acquire the local connectivity and the visiting communication network becomes the new home communication network for the communication device. This means that the business relationship and billing relationship for the communication device subscription has also changed from its original home network operator to the new local network operator. A switch of subscription could give access to the communication device in VPLMN, but it does not allow the enterprise to maintain a single business relationship and billing interface for its devices towards its home network operator. The enterprise also cannot reuse the same functionality for its services and devices deployed all over the world because they are not serviced by single operator. Instead, the devices will get different functionalities and connectivity services by each different local network operator of each different visiting communication network.
Consequently, there is a need for a solution that enables a communication device subscribing to a home communication network to connect to a visiting communication network even without a roaming agreement between the home communication network operator and the visiting communication network operator, or without roaming signaling being established between the visiting communication network and the home communication network. This connection should preferably also be accomplished while the enterprise still keeps a single business relationship and billing interface towards the home communication network operator.